| The Brentwood County High School |
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Originally the whole school was for boys, but in 1974 the Governors took the decision to allow a small number of girls to enter the Sixth form. The Girls School opened in 1986, admitting girls from ages 11 to 18, with the Preparatory School following suit in 1998. The school has two mottos, Virtue, Learning and Manners and Incipe, the latter being a Latin motto (roughly meaning "to begin" or "to start") added in the 19th century. The school is considered in terms of Independent Schools' A-Level results to be third division[1] (with there being five divisions of which Premier League is the highest). In 2007 Brentwood School celebrated its 450th anniversary in St. Paul's Cathedral. Sport The School is notable for its sporting achievements, particularly in football, cricket and fencing. The school has consistently performed well as part of the Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA), winning the national ISFA cup in 2008. The school has also been historically successful in the prestigious Public Schools Fencing Championships, winning the overall title 34 times since 1962, with the last team victory coming in 2008. The school has had students and teachers win medals for fencing at the World and Commonwealth Games and Old Brentwood, Alex O’Connell recently went to the Beijing Olympics to represent Great Britain. Additionally, Brentwood has produced national and international standard squash, cricket and netball players, among others. Brentwood School are current netball, cricket and senior girls’ tennis champions. A number of improvements in sporting facilities have been made in recent years. These include a 25 metre indoor swimming pool and learner pool, a fitness suite, 4 additional glass-backed squash courts and an indoor rifle range. The school is set in 70 acres (280,000 m2) of grounds and has two playing fields, one is situated directly on the school site and another, the Heseltines, adjacent to the school. These contain many football, rugby, cricket and hockey pitches, an all-weather Astroturf pitch, tennis and netball courts and an athletics track and field as well as a woods used for cross-country runs. Drama and Music The school hosts various theatrical performances and shows. In one academic year the theatrical line up usually consists of a winter/spring play, a sixth form comedy charity show, a dance show alongside various other acts. In 2008 the school featured two Winter theatrical shows; My Fair Lady and Habeas Corpus. Brentwood often hosts concerts such as the orchestral concerts and chamber concerts comprising of the school's big band, orchestra and choir. The school has a strong musical reputation and a close association with the Brentwood (Catholic) and Chelmsford (Church of England) Cathedrals having a number of pupils and staff singing in their choirs. The Brentwood School Music Department has four full-time teaching staff and 20 visiting teachers. The school offers a range of musical opportunities with several Orchestras and five Brass and String Ensembles, a Junior Choir, a Choral Society and a Chapel Choir. Each year the school is involved in instrumental and choral tours in Europe and sometimes further afield. Recent choral performances have included: ‘Belshazzar’s Feast’ by Walton, Requiems by Mozart, Verdi and Fauré and ‘Gloria’ by Poulenc. The Director of Music at Brentwood School is David Pickthall, a conductor and composer. One of his proudest accomplishments was his involvement in Wallace & Gromit's The Wrong Trousers. He can be seen at events such as school Chamber Concerts, and takes the school orchestra abroad, as far as Siena, Italy. He often allows the Liam Taylor Jazz Band, which consists of Brentwood School pupils, to play short sets as part of Big Band events.[2] The current head of Drama is Mr. Lindsay Jones, teaching here since 1997. SABS The Sir Anthony Browne Society is a society which focuses on furthering the education of 6th Form students (Junior SABS is also available for the younger years). Regular meetings are held at which there is either a speaker or a debate. Senior School Between the ages of 11 and 16 (up to GCSE level), boys and girls are taught separately. After this, in the Sixth Form, teaching is co-educational. • Age range: 11 - 18 • Day pupils: 652 male, 442 female, (£12,318 annual fees) • Full boarding: 45 male, 27 female, (£22,605 annual fees) • Total Pupils: 697 male, 469 female • Including 6th form/FE: 179 male, 116 female • Staff numbers: 114 full time, 23 part time • Method of entry: School exam. • Professional affiliations: HMC, IAPS, ISC, AGBIS (formerly GBA and GBGSA) • Religious affiliation: Church of England Entrance in to the school at Year 7 is by an Entrance Examination, testing students' skills in Maths, English and Verbal Reasoning. Scholarships can be offered to entrants based on six aspects: • Academic Merit in the Entrance Examination
Talent in: • Music • Sport • Art • Drama • Choral Bursaries are also offered to entrants under special circumstances. |
The school is separated into three main sections: Senior School (ages 11 to 18), Brentwood Preparatory School (ages 7 to 11) and Pre-Preparatory School (ages 3 to 7).